May 13, 2010

Taking a high level of Vitamin C and Vitamin E supplements may actually increase your chances of getting sick. According to a new study, high levels of antioxidants have been shown to increase cancer risks. The connection between the pills and the disease was discovered by accident when stem cell researchers were attempting to use antioxidants to reduce oxidative damage. The scientists who discovered the connection believe that antioxidants impede the enzyme that correct DNA during the cell division process. In response to the report a doctor stated, “The simple message for consumers is: eat as much fruit and vegetables as you like,” adding “But supplements can take you into the danger zone.”

Children with epilepsy often face challenges that inhibit their learning abilities and social acceptance from peers. Nevertheless, a recent survey suggests that children with epilepsy are happier than we think and their quality of life is comparable to that of their healthy siblings. Dr. Christine Bower Baca, a Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar and a clinical instructor in the UCLA Department of Neurology, and her colleagues
assessed 143 children with epilepsy, matching each to a healthy, non-epileptic sibling as a control, and to their parents or guardians. The study found that parents' ratings of their children's quality of life were significantly lower for their children. In contrast, children with epilepsy rated their own quality of life on a par with their siblings.

Despite the dangers, fewer than half of all seniors see a doctor after they experience a fall. According to a recent policy brief from the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, seniors who don't visit a doctor are less likely to practice activities that could prevent a repeat fall. Some recommended activities after a fall include getting a cane or walker and reviewing medications. UCLA found that 73 percent of seniors who saw a doctor after a fall engaged in at least two follow-up activities to prevent falls. Steven P. Wallace, lead author of the policy brief, said that visiting a doctor after a fall is critical for seniors. He noted, "The safeguards we discuss are some of the best ways of preventing additional falls and the disastrous health consequences associated with falls."

Walgreens was to begin offering DNA tests to consumers Friday, but they've delayed plans to sell the test kits from Pathway Genomics due to concerns expressed by the FDA and genetics experts. The genetic test kits haven't been approved by the FDA, and some experts question their accuracy. If Walgreens goes ahead with plans to sell the products, they'll be the first large, nationwide drug store to offer genetic test kits. According to CNN, the genetic test kits from Pathway Genomics are designed to analyze saliva samples, checking for your risk of developing around 70 diseases, including lung cancer. The kits cost $20 at the store, but consumers will pay another $79 to $249 to receive test results, reports CNN. Pathway Genomics also sells testing kits for pre-pregnancy planning.

Ultramarathoner Scott Jurek was featured recently by New York Times writer Mark Bittman. While it may be surprising to find an ultramarathoner who's also a vegan, Jurek says his secret to always having enough energy is simple: consume enough calories. Jurek, who won the 153-mile Spartathlon in 2008, eats foods like stir-fry with vegetables and tofu, miso, quinoa, tempeh-tofu combination, whole grains, sweet potatoes, and Greek salads with olives and seaweed. Eating slowly, the ultramarathoner focuses on consuming a "high-carbohydrate diet with enough protein and fat." Jurek's diet wasn't always healthy. He grew up with canned goods, cookie dough and fast food. However, Jurek made a change in college after realizing the connection between lifestyle and disease.

When used just before going to bed, the new iPad and other glowing gadgets like laptops may confuse the mind enough to think it's daytime. That confusion may result in delayed sleep, reports CNN. The stimulating light may be enough to disrupt your normal circadian rhythm, the brain's sleep clock. CNN reports that since the iPad's light shines directly into your eyes from a close distance, the gadget may be more likely to disrupt sleep than a television located across the room or a lamp that doesn't direct light into the eyes. The blue light coming from phones and laptops may worsen the brain's confusion since blue light is less common during the evening. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute professor Figueiro suggests wearing sunglasses with orange lenses to block the blue light at night!